


Over and under

by Cathysto



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Exy (All For The Game), Gay Panic, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Summaries, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, My First Fanfic, TikTok
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 04:08:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29093976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cathysto/pseuds/Cathysto
Summary: Jean is a college student and he's little lost. But there is this cute boy who orders a caramel latte almost every day.
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29
Collections: AFTG Mixtape Exchange 2021





	Over and under

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LufwoodEmilius](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LufwoodEmilius/gifts).



> This is my first fic, so – yeah. Enjoy my mess. Second of all, English is not my first language, I apologise for mistakes.  
> About the story: Jean was in a friendship with Riko for the bigger part of his life, until Riko cut it in the first year of collage, leaving Jean in big debts and feeling hollowed out. It was toxic relationship.
> 
> The fic is part of AFTG Mixtape exchange 2021, based on a song [Wonderful](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANzCVtNQKm0&ab_channel=NetflixFutures) sung by Ken Jeong in the movie Over the moon and it's a gift for @LufwoodEmilius, I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> About the Song: when I first heard it I thought – I need to watch the movie (it was good, solid 8/10 for me) and the second thought – I need meet-cute. I.Need.It. So I went for it and yeah, I hope you’ll like it. I wanted to describe how Jean felt after loosing his toxic relationship with Riko and how he just wanted to feel okay in spite of knowing that what Riko did to him was bad but he… missed some aspects of it. And more than the story I wanted to focus on the general feeling of this fic.  
> Okay, I hope you’ll have fun reading it.
> 
> PS: in the process of writing this piece I watched hours, hours and hours of lgbt+ tiktok and I regret nothing.

Jean was used to this feeling. Being lonely. But what was a whole new thing to him was that he was… alone. His routine was the same for years now. After Riko ended their (not really) friendship, Jean was _lost_. He was in his first year in college at that time, he had to move to another state (that was the reason why Riko left him) so no friends and no money because of the student loan. The worst part were the nights. His roommate, Kevin, wasn’t a bad person, but he didn’t know what to do when Jean had his bad nights so he just… left the room. And for Jean that was the punch in the guts – the loneliness just made it even worse.

Now Jean has his rutine: he works in a coffee shop, he’s graduating in few months and he’s not alone for most of the day – he has the job and Kevin is kind of better too, his boyfriend Aaron likes to play videogames that Jean likes too so they often stay in the room together to play so Jean thinks he can call Aaron his… friend, yeah.

The bad nights are not gone, but they’re rare. Just every now and then he can’t fall asleep, can’t breath properly, can’t move in the fear.

Riko messed his head, he broke something in him, Jean thinks, because this… he doesn’t feel as a trash anymore, but without Riko it’s like something in his life is missing and even if he hates this thing, he just – needs it. Without it he feels lost.

It’s beginning of February, it’s snowing outside and the coffee is empty. The COFFcoursE where he works is one of the two coffees on the campus, but the other, Jack’s, is way more crowded and more popular among the students because of the cute, everyday new to-go cup designs. In COFFcoursE they have little cheaper coffee, better deserts and they charge a little fee if you want a to-go cup, but on the other hand, they have super cheap reusable cups. His coworker, Brody, is saying something about how he thinks that staff at Jack’s are just pretty faces but no brains, when a costumer walks in, doing something on his phone, not really looking here he’s going. Jean is at the register so he takes his order, putting the reusable cup of the costumer in Brody’s hands.

\---

When Brody’s making a middle size americano with milk and caramel, the costumer lifts his head for the first time. Jean’s not looking at him at the moment, looking for something in the fridge, so the costumer just sees his profile. And little ‘oh god no’ leaves his mouth.

\---

Jean puts the order on the counter while the costumer pays with his card.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, come again,” Jean answers automatically and looks in the eyes of the costumer and thinks _he’s cute, oh my god, the eyes!_

On Wednesday, in the first minutes of Jean’s shift, the cute costumer comes into coffeeshop again. It’s five o’clock and it’s snowing again.

“Hi,” he says and Jean nods at him, trying not to look to stare at the boy. _His eyes_ were really big and the bright t hazel colour looked almost golden.

The boy is a lot shorter than Jean and has curly blond hair with messy waves. Today is even colder than yesterday and the boy wears more layers too – big puffy coat, yellow woolen gloves and matching hat.

“Latte with caramel and caramel cappuccino, please,” he orders and Jean nods again. He’s not sure he would be capable of speaking properly, so he stays on the safe ground of nodding. Today Jean’s working alone, but he’s doing just fine, in the middle of the week at this hours the number of people coming for a coffee is very little.

“To-go?” Jean asks, remembering boy’s order from yesterday.

“No, here, please.”

“Okay. You can sit, I’ll bring it to you.”

“Oh, okay, yeah, thanks,” the boy fidgets and smiles. He chooses Jeans favourite seat in front of the biggest window with the view of the campus, currently completely under the snow.

Jean almost finishes his order, thinking about how his legs hurt because of the run he took earlier that day, when a tall person with short hair in a very, very colourful outfit comes in and joins, with loud laugh, the cute boy at the window.

They stay for the most of his shift. An hour before he can close the shop, they leave and both of them say Jean goodbye, the smaller boy with a red face, the taller person with a loud smile.

Jean nods at both of them with neutral expression, but when they leave, he lets out a long sight.

It’s like that for few weeks. Cute boy comes for a coffee almost everyday, sometimes alone, sometimes with that person, sometimes to stay and study, sometimes to just grab a to-go latte.

Today Jean’s not working, but he came in the coffee shop anyway, seeking a calm, quiet place for him to study. His dorm was occupied by Aaron and Kevin and when his roommate told him he was going to help Aaron from his stress his boyfriend has because of exam season, Jean knew better than to stay in the dorm.

Brody chatted with him few minutes, but than Jean said he really had to study and went to his favourite spot, next to the big window. The cute boy Jean served almost on daily basis for past few weeks came today too. From his spot in front of the register it was hard to see Jean, but Jean had a good view of him. He was looking all over the place and looked less smiley that every other day. Jean was thinking about what happened today to put the boy in this not-so-sparkling mood he usually had. Maybe he was tired of exams the same way Jean was, maybe he had a dispute with his friends?

The searching eyes finds Jean in few seconds and the smile of the cute boy makes Jean flush a little.

The boy took his filled to-go cup and went to sit at the next table next to Jean. He took out some textbooks (psychology, Jean notices) and started studying. Jean had a hard time to focus in first thirty minutes of shared silence, but than he allowed himself to feel more comfortable and let out little breath. It was nice to be accompanied by another student when he was studying, it motivated him and when he heard the boy sighs from frustration for the first time, he almost smiled.

They worked for hours together and Jean felt at peace.

\---

Brody was almost shining with too much energy in him the morning after his last big exam before the beginning of the finals, so he was exited about his few days of freedom ahead of him. Jean just had a really, really bad night filled with memories of Riko. Jean kind of missed his friend but he also knew that after few years Riko became the worst type of a friend. They were friends when they were kids, but for past few years, Jean was just a toy for Riko. He knew that. And he still felt like he needed something to fill this place in his heart.

Jean didn’t ask Brody about what was that he was laughing about, but Brody immediately started talking anyway, not waiting for Jean to at least put his backpack down in the staff room. Jean wasn’t mad at Brody, he was a good guy, sometimes just too reckless and uncaring, but afterall good soul.

“Boy, you’re not gonna believe me,” Brody was still laughing loudly, but Jean wasn’t really impressed by him, so he didn’t show any interest in Brody’s words.

“Let me show you something, I came across it few hours ago. You see I couldn’t sleep last night because of the exam I have today so I went on Tiktok and, oh boy, I almost peed myself.”

“Ew,” was everything Jean said, changing into his clothes works in.

“Just, wait a sec, I’ll just-“Brody started laughing again. “Let me find it.”

And he showed Jean short video on Tiktok by someone called Jeremayah. It was filmed in front of the COFFcoursE, probably sometime recently (Jean recognised the special menu written on the window glass they had served for just about three days now) but what shocked Jean was that he knew the man in front of the camera. The person shooting a video was shaking with laugh and the boy, Jean’s regular and favourite and really cute costumer, was standing close to the door of the coffee, but away from the sight of the people in it because of the angle.

“C’mon, Jeremy, just do it!”

The boy, Jeremy, rolled his eyes, took a camera from the person who held it before and started speaking directly into the camera. “Okay, guys, I have this- thing going on. For a few weeks, maybe two months now? Uh, I have a big, uncontrollable crush on this man. And every, _every_ time I go here, I mean the coffee he works in, I just- immediately just- _panic_. And now I, uh, have a bet with Laila. Hate you, by the way, Laila. I have to ask him out, or I’ll have to do some Tiktok dance in front of him. Like, in the coffee. So, you know, I want to ask him out first before I make myself a dumbass in front of him dancing fucking Tiktok dance.”

The monologue was over and after that Jeremy sighed heavily. The other person laughed and Jeremy grinned. “Laila, I swear to god I’ll kill you one day.”

“Oh, loverboy, just ask him out. Or just dance in front of him, you would seduce him with that ass of yours.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes again. There was a cut and than – a glimpse of the coffee shop from inside, showing empty seats. The camera was not focused on anything, most likely Jeremy held it in his hand when he was talking to the person behind the register and after he said his order (latte with extra caramel and extra whipped cream), the _person behind the register answered_ and it was-

“It is you, right?” Brody stopped the video because he laughed so much. “The voice, it’s yours, I recognized it right away, jesus crist. This is just hilarious.”

Jean was shocked. And stunned. And afraid. And confused.

_What the fuck?_

He tried to remember when exactly the boy, _Jeremy_ , ordered the latte with extra caramel and with extra whipped cream and- oh no. Okay, he knew what was coming later in the video, he knew and he flushed right away. _He asked me out like out out?_

Brody pushes the play button on the video again and Jean’s suffering continues.

“Thanks. Um, and when your shift ends?” Jeremy asks casually.

Jean’s answer was little muted by the distance between them but it was clear what he was saying.

“I work until five.”

“Would you like to go out after?”

Jean remembered how confused he was by that question. He had a really bad night and slept for like two hours max so he was tired and stressed because of his exams. Fortunately, his voice gave away nothing but a normal tone.

“I would like to, but with that snow I can’t go for a walks. But I run in the mornings right after they clear the street from snow.”

Jean thought the boy asked him if he wanted to go out like _out_ , not _out like date-out_. He really thought that he asked him if he likes going outside after his shifts.

Jeremy was little confused by the answer. “Okay. Well, I like to run too. Maybe we can go together sometime?”

“I’m not a group runner, sorry.” Jean answered. He. Fucking. Really. Said. That.

The video continued with Jeremy talking to Laila, the person Jean recognized too when they were on the screen – it was the tall person who accompanied Jeremy sometimes. He said “I asked him, but I think he didn’t get it. Like, he told me it’s to snowy for him to have a walk after his shift, but I am pretty sure he didn’t recognized that I asked him out like in a ‘do you want to go out with me like a date’ way. He’s either not into guys or he’s completely clueless. Should I ask him again and more clearly?” The Tiktok ended when Laila started laughing.

Brody was smiling. “Boy, you just wiped the floor with him. Poor Jeremy, he won’t come back ever again. Thanks to you, we lost one of out few regulars,” he said jokingly and shoved Jean a little. Jean swayed a little and with still shocked expression on his face he went to the register. He wanted to process everything but when he looked up, the boy was here.

Brody was still in the room for stuff so Jean was the only one who could serve Jeremy. He gulped and frowned a little, because he was afraid – was Jeremy again doing something for Tiktok?

“Hi, um, caramel latte. To go, please” he said with smile, little flush forming on his cheeks.

Jean was now again on the safe ground – the orders and making coffee were things he could do blinded and the routine calmed him a little. “No cream today?”

Jeremy shook his head. “Not today, no.”

Jean worked in silence, filling Jeremy’s to-go cup. When he was almost finished, he took a deep breath in and just- went for it.

“I saw the video and I think you’re cute too, by the way.”

Jean dropped the phone he was fidgeting with and it made a loud sound. “Oh no,” he whispers, eyes wide, not caring about the phone.

Jean grins. “My friend showed me. He recognized me on it.”

“Em,” Jeremy tries to say something but the words don’t leave his mouth.

“I wanted to apologize for my, um, for me dumping you?” Jean is not sure how he wants to say it, but he knows he feels like apologising for earlier and he wants to… yeah, he wants another chance.

“There’s like absolutely no reason for _you_ to apologise!” Jeremy blurts out. “I was being rude and I should be the only one saying sorry. And I really am sorry.” He was now red from his neck to his eyebrows and Jean could tear his eyes away from it, uncaring about coffee which is now getting cold in his hands.

“Well, next time you shoot someone who doesn’t know about it, ask them first, okay?”

“Um, yeah, right. I’m really sorry about that. Like, _really_. I won’t do it again.”

Jean was silent for few seconds, just taking in red Jeremy. “I won’t mind if you’d ask me again.”

Jeremy’s eyes went even wider at that. “You mean like…”

Jean nods with little smile on his lips.

“Alright,” Jeremy said, stunned, and paid for his coffee. “Thanks a lot. I, um,” he clears his throat and tries again, looking little shy. “When does your shift ends?”

“At one thirty.”

Brody comes back and sees the two of them speaking together and, because he accidentally knocks down a pile of tea boxes on the counter, is shocked by it almost as much as Jean is.. Shocked but calm and exited and little anxious. In a good way. He hasn’t felt this way in years. He smiles a little more.

“Nice,” it seems Jeremy put himself together in the meantime and he looks more confident now which now makes Jean flush a little in return. “I’ll wait… over here.” He waves in a direction of the seat by the window.

“It’s almost five hours.”

“I can wait,” Jeremy says with soft voice and now Jean is really blushing.

So he waits. Today is little more busy than other days so Jean is most of the time occupied with work, but almost every five minutes he took a quick look at Jeremy, who was studying the whole time. At twelve o’clock Jeremy came for another coffee.

“Um, do you mind if I take a video of you while working?”

“For Tiktok?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of my hobby.”

“If you don’t show my face than that’s fine.”

“Thank you. And I somehow forgot to ask your name, hah.”

“It’s Jean Moreau.”

“I’m Jeremy Knox, nice to meet you,” he winks at Jean.

“You too.”

And maybe Jean wasn’t broken, he was just new to everything and that was why he always felt so not-complete. Maybe he was lost without old things he was used to, but maybe that’s fine, because he can form new _old things_ again from the scratch. And… maybe with this cute boy Jeremy. What he was sure about was that after speaking with Jeremy today he felt exited about what today, and the future, will bring.

It was a beginning of a new adventure.


End file.
